In your head, Bobby Darin sings, "Somewhere, beyond the sea ...," as you make sure your mask is properly fitted and secure before doing the same for your kids. The water's clear and warm, and in just a few seconds, you'll be serenely floating, facedown, in that water, your family by your side. All that's left to do is to make sure your camera's waterproof case is properly sealed and then step off the swim platform, into the world beneath the waves.

That's snorkeling, and it flat-out rocks. You don't need certification or specialized training, you don't need much gear, and best of all, if you can float, you can snorkel. That goes for kids, too. (Although, for safety's sake, inexperienced and less-than-strong swimmers should NEVER snorkel unless closely supervised by trained partners.) As a result, snorkeling is an especially family-friendly watersport, one that allows parents and kids to truly participate together, since you can be as physically active (or inactive) as you want to be, and still get a full ration of enjoyment out of a day in the water.

Snorkeling is an easy watersport to learn, but it's still important to introduce kids to the sport gently and correctly. You can't just throw 'em in and yell, "Float!" And even though learning to snorkel is pretty easy, it's a good idea to teach your kids the sport and let them practice before your big trip, so that when you get to that clear, blue water, everybody's ready and rarin' to go.

A mask and a snorkel tube are really the only two pieces of equipment absolutely required, so make sure you buy quality gear that fits properly. Don't buy a mask that your child "will grow into." Buy a mask that fits snugly. If you want to splurge and buy fins and floater tubes, go right ahead. They'll enhance the experience. But again, be sure the fins fit NOW, not a year from now. To make sure the gear fits, take your child along when you buy the gear. He or she will have fun trying on the various items, and you'll be sure you get gear that works.

Even if the kid you're introducing to snorkeling is your 43-year-old husband, take baby steps. Start in shallow water - a swimming pool is great, but the bathtub will work fine for young tykes. The important thing is to make sure that the beginner can easily stand up if he or she starts to feel at all uncomfortable. Spend a while letting the child get used to wearing the mask and breathing through the snorkel tube. (You can even do this on dry land.) Make sure the mask fits snugly, and no stray hairs are caught (they'll let water in), but that the fit isn't so tight as to be uncomfortable. Hint: If your child's forehead above the mask turns bright red and then blue, the mask is WAY too tight.Once everybody's feeling good about wearing the mask and breathing through the tube, it's time to go facedown. At first, the beginner should just bend over or kneel down until they're underwater and the breathing tube is in use. If a little water seeps into the mask or snorkel, the newbie snorkeler can easily stand up without panicking.Snorkel-clearing is an important skill, and is best taught in safe, shallow water. If you get the tube underwater (and you will), you're going to get a little water in there, and inhaling water can be pretty unsettling. The easiest way to clear the snorkel is to hold your head above the surface and "lift and dump" - take out the mouthpiece and turn it over so it drains. The "blast" technique is good for those times you're floating on the surface and just get a little water in the tube. Kids love to spray each other (and probably you) as they learn to blow out through the purge valve.

This is also a good time to teach mask-clearing. Since most snorkeling is done near the surface, you always have the option of popping your head out of the water, pulling the bottom of the mask away from your face, and letting the water drain that way. That's comforting and simple for beginners. Once they're more experienced, they can learn the "hold the top of the mask and blow out your nose" method. The important thing to teach is that a little water in the mask is no big deal - just hold your breath and surface.

With these basics under their belts, the kids are ready for the next baby step - the facedown float. A floater tube is a great tool for this lesson. You hang your arms over the tube, and it holds you up so you can have your face in the water with the tube in the air with virtually no expended effort on your part. Stay in the shallow end, so if there's a moment of panic, the beginner can stand up quickly. This will build a lot of confidence. Once your kid's comfortable floating facedown, wearing the mask and breathing through the tube, then it's time to introduce some fun and games. Stop by the store and pick up some stuff that floats - and some stuff that doesn't. At the pool, or in the shallows, start by tossing a floater (a tennis ball, for example) a few yards so your child can swim out and retrieve it. After a few solo runs, you can join in on the action. Throw the floater out a little bit further, but where it's much closer to the child than to you. Then, race to see who can collect the prize. (Try not to get too competitive here. Let the kid win at least a few times, OK?) As your child becomes more and more comfortable, start mixing it up by tossing a sinker (a rock wrapped in aluminum foil is easily spotted) and racing to see who can dive down and get it.

These games aren't just fun; they also instill confidence and reinforce the fundamentals of snorkeling - mask-clearing, snorkel-clearing and proper breathing. Sure, you're splashing around and having a blast, but you're also dealing with little things like some water in the tube or a mask coming loose in a safe, secure environment where it's not a panicky situation. And every time one of those little hurdles is cleared, there's a little more confidence and a little more enthusiasm for the next step - a real family snorkeling trip.